Bumbling black bears were not always the apex predators of Saskatchewan's boreal forest. Grizzly bear (Ursus arctos, formerly known as 'ursa horribilis') were once an abundant species in the prairie provinces whose range extended from the Rocky Mountains to east of Winnipeg.

Although the plains population was reportedly extirpated in the 1880s, confirmed reports in east-central Saskatchewan and western Manitoba were relatively recent within the last century. The last reputable sightings occurred in the Pasquia Hills until 1950, and Porcupine Hills in 1960 (White, 1965).

Brook trout are fish that live in beautiful places. They require cold, clean, oxygen-rich water to thrive, and a relatively undisturbed environment to reproduce. With a preference for clear, spring-fed lakes and stone-bottom streams, it's fair to assume that the presence of brook trout is a good indicator of a healthy body of water.

They are aggressive predators that will sometimes out-compete native fish species for food resources. Their diet consists mostly of larval/adult aquatic insects such as stoneflies, caddisflies and mayflies, as well as terrestrial insects like grasshoppers, beetles and spiders. Their preferred menu goes on to include minnows, worms and frogs. Larger brook trout will sometimes even devour small rodents swimming across the water surface.

This is a 19th century map of the estimated boundaries of Lake Agassiz. Following the western shore, from upper-left to lower right, you will find the prairie "mountain range," also known as Pasquia Hills, Porcupine Hills, Duck Mountain, Riding Mountain and Turtle Mountain.

Even though a small portion of the Duck Mountain highlands are in Saskatchewan, the topography pales in comparison to the eastern ridge in Manitoba. That's because this prairie "mountain range" was part of the western shore of a deceased glacial lake, Lake Agassiz.

Alright, they're not true mountains in the sense that they were never formed by tectonic movement uplifting the earth's crust, or volcanic activity. They were formed solely by erosion and the accumulation of glacial till. Still, this is enough to give the elevation prominence when considering the flat prairies beneath.

As part of the Manitoba Escarpment, Duck Mountain Provincial Park already benefits from some exaggerated elevation differences between its peaks and the Manitoba lowlands. But the park also contains Baldy Mountain, which officially claims the title of "highest point in the province."

A view of the transition area between Duck Mountain and Riding Mountain as seen from Baldy Mountain lookout tower.

ABOUT BALDY MOUNTAIN

At an elevation of 832 m (2,730 ft), Baldy Mountain presides at 400 m (1,310 ft) above the surrounding lowlands. Like the Duck Mountains themselves, it is shaped entirely by glacial till from the most recent ice age up to 85,000 years ago. These glacial deposits, which can run quite thick in The Ducks, sit on top of a bed of cretaceous shale that is over 70 million years old.

The peak is road accessible, situated north of Dauphin and Grandview, Manitoba. You can drive right up to the lookout tower, but there are also a series of hiking trails that can keep you busy for an hour, an entire afternoon, or a lifetime if you forget your compass.

After coming across so many shale outcrops, particularly in the Pasquia Hills, I learned that the darker slabs contain the fossil fuel kerogen. On our trip to Rice River Canyon, I decided to grab a few dark pieces, put them under heat and see what happens.

Lighter? ... nothing... but with a camp stove? Well, something. After bits and chunks of the sedimentary rock started bursting off, I lowered the heat and eventually managed to get the rock to self-sustain combustion. The result was the overwhelming scent of burning rubber.

I'm not going to lie, I still want to experiment with this stuff. But unless you want your food to taste like a tire fire, you're better off using whatever fuel you have left.